There are a number of trading systems, and a number of individuals, who engage in real time day-to-day or minute-to-minute security trading. Very often, such individuals are referred to as day traders.
Moreover, many stock brokers have an interest or duty to observe the dynamics of the market, including price fluctuations and volume of trading in any security.
However, even some proprietary software which is available for use by such individuals as day traders and stock brokers may require considerable key stroke input, and may not provide a dynamic display which indicates not only current market conditions but, by being observed over a period of time, such dynamic display would indicate what the market is doing with respect to a particular security. For example, Bank of Montreal Investorline™. requires that a user shall first enter the ticker symbol for a selected security, then enter the price, then the number of shares, and finally click on a confirmation button. As will be explained hereafter, the present invention permits the user to effectively drag and drop an icon representing at least one selected security, with a selected trading order, over a grid to a selected cell having a selected price, and dropping the icon so as to effect the desired trading order.
Graphical displays in keeping with the present invention will indicate whether the market is moving up or down, whether there is a high volume or low volume of trades occurring at the present time, and even the number of buy or sell orders that may be in place, and at what price, as they may be handled by any market participant.
The trader to whom the present invention is particularly directed is usually, but not necessarily, a sophisticated trader, who is interested in the dynamics of the market, and who is interested in obtaining data for any selected security at any instant in time, as well as to watch the changes in market conditions as they may affect that security over a period of time.
The present invention provides means, including particularly a graphical user interface, to permit the trader to achieve the goals set forth above.
While the present invention is particularly directed to an interactive grid-based graphical trading system for use in trading securities, it necessarily includes all of the appropriate physical architecture and logical architecture at least, in functional terms that are necessary in order to facilitate operation of the present invention.
Of course, it will be understood that the present invention contemplates the existence throughout the network of traders and market participants, of secure and high speed communications channels, and of sufficiently powerful and high speed computer hardware to function appropriately and to assure seamless and transparent functionality and operation of the market overview and security trading functionalities of the present invention. The present invention also contemplates that proprietary software which embodies features, functions, and particulars of the teachings herein, will be resident in any computer hardware at the site of any trader practicing or operating this invention.